Shell: 9 out of 10 Filipinos waste fuel through unecessary idling

Let’s say you’ve been sitting in traffic for more than 15 minutes and any hope of movement is nowhere to be found. Or perhaps you’re waiting for your date outside his or her home, but he or she is running late.

For many of us, we just leave the engine on, bask in the cool air-con and crank up the radio. Indeed, many drivers don’t even think about turning off the engine in these circumstances, with Shell Philippines discovering in its latest study that nine out of 10 drivers leave their cars idling as a habit.

The study – which surveyed 1,000 Filipinos aged 18 to 40 nationwide on fuel-efficiency beliefs and behavior – also found that even though 92 percent of drivers consider saving fuel as very important, more than half of drivers believe that keeping their engine running is more fuel-efficient than turning it on and off. However, the company said in a statement that turning the engine off when you’re stopped for a long time actually saves more fuel than idling, which burns your money without moving you an inch.

The company also said that contrary to popular belief, the power needed to start an engine comes from the battery, which means that turning on the engine doesn’t use a lot of fuel. Indeed, many modern engines are fitted with intelligent fuel-saving mechanisms like regenerative braking and automatic engine stop-start that make these more efficient when turned on and off. In other words, when you know you’ll be stationary for more than 10 seconds, you should turn off your engine.

Shell said idling is one of the many fuel-efficiency myths that its FuelSave Fact or Fiction Report uncovered. These myths contribute to why three out of four Filipino drivers don’t know how to become fuel efficient, with more than half becoming anxious as a result.

“We hope that more Filipino drivers can learn the difference between myths and facts, so that they can become better drivers and be advocates of fuel efficiency,” said Shell Fuels Brand Manager Maan Abas.